Problem
- Accessibility
- Lack of lighting at stops, marked signs, and seating
- Not enough stops in the North Side of Berkeley
- Buses too early or delayed
- Inconvenient in certain situations
-Safety
- Lack of lighting at stops at night
- Lack of noticeable, distinct signage for stops on buses
- Cleanliness on the mode of transportation
- Missing a sense of security when using public transportation
Insights from Preliminary User Research
- Common apps used are Transit and Google Maps, but both are not always accurate
- Buses and public transportation in general could be cleaner
- Signage for both bus stops and on the bus could be improved
- Timeliness of buses seem to be a major concern for users
- Safety was another concern on buses and some users suggested implementing more security protocols
- Usual alternative to public transportation was using Ubers and Lyfts but can be pricey
- For shorter distances, users preferred to walk than go through trying to figure out when the bus would arrive and waiting for the bus
Divergent Thinking
- Transit app and AC Transit should collaborate to make the times more accurate
- To reduce waste on the bus, include small trashcans
- Bus signs should be bigger and clearer
- Improve the estimated arrival times
- To increase safety, add security to the bus
- Bus drivers should always announce upcoming stop
- Implement system to prevent buses of same line from getting too close
- Pay drivers more for better services
- Encourage students to use buses more so AC Transit is more inclined to make changes
Convergent Thinking
Because there are so many problems with the public transportation, I decided to focus on a single problem: the lack of accuracy from the estimated arrival. The main causes of this problem are incorrect or outdated bus locations and flawed system for estimating the time it takes for a bus to get from one stop to another. The common denominator of these causes is the system or app used for bus times, whether it be Transit or Google Maps. For this project I will be focusing on Transit, because it is specifically used for bus times, while Google Maps is used for many other reasons. The first part that requires changes about Transit are bus locations. Currently, Transit uses locations from AC Transit or its users. AC Transit's locations are pinged every 15 seconds and are not always accurate. Transit's users do not always use the app and provide location information. If Transit users could constantly use the app and provide real time location information to Transit the locations would always be accurate. But who is always on the bus, and most likely has a phone? The bus driver! If the bus driver downloads Transit, or if Transit targets bus drivers and includes features just for bus drivers, the Transit app would be much more effective. Next would be a change to how the estimated arrival time is calculated. It seems that the Transit app currently does not factor in the time it takes for passengers to get on and off the bus. If the app included this, the estimated arrival times would be much more accurate.
Low Fidelity Prototyping
High Fidelity Testing
Insights from Usability Testing
Most of my feedback was questioning why this would be a good improvement on the bus system. Many of my improvements are difficult to present in a picture form. I explained that if the bus driver was using the Transit app, those using the Transit app could be aware of exactly where the bus is at all times. This is similar to the current AC Transit system of 15 second pings. However, even with 15 second pings, the location is still sometimes incredibly off and the estimated time of arrival can be very off. In addition, the Transit app could be improved upon. Based on my personal experience, the app seems to calculate estimated time of arrival based on the number of stops that the bus has before your stop. The app could instead update their arrival algorithm, by using the distance and including traffic. When the time of arrival is off it can cause those needing a bus to arrive too late or too early for the bus, and this could lead to troublesome situations.
I also realized my ideas were mostly conceptual and could be shown in a physical form. As a result, for my final product prototype, I decided to create a prototype Transit App that included features that a bus driver could use to make it easier for them to use. In addition, I realized that bus drivers may not be willing to download the app and keep their phone all the time..... unless it's for money! The Transit app currently track how many users are helped each time someone uses their location for Transit. The Transit app for bus drivers could translate the number of people who are helped to a certain amount of money.
Final Product Prototype
